WAEH 🌍 – Newsletter August
Australia’s calling you, my friend.
WAEH2023 is taking place 10-14 October, and we’ve got a who’s who of eye health colleagues from all over the world coming to share their knowledge. Early bird registration is about to close, but don’t worry—you’re right on time to claim your spot.
The trip over to Australia’s about to be so worth it. You’ll learn from visionaries shaping the future of ophthalmology, get up-close looks at the future of eye AI, and connect with peers who share your exact passion in eyecare!!
Plus, you know—there’s so much Australia to explore. We’ll leave a little registration link for you down here.
WAEH 17th Annual Meeting
Overview of the Programme
Tuesday 10 October – at the Eye and Ear in Melbourne
1 Conference Registration @ The Hotel Windsor from 12 noon
2 Innovative Visit
3 Member Meeting
4 Welcoming Dinner for all members
Wednesday 11 October – Full day program at the Eye and Ear in Melbourne
1 Innovation
2 Workforce
3 Welcoming new members
4 WAEH Projects
Thursday 12 October – Full day program at the Eye and Ear in Melbourne
1 Sustainability
2 Welcoming new members
3 WAEH Projects
Friday 13 October – Morning: travel to Sydney, afternoon visit Sydney Eye Hospital – evening Sydney Opera House (if available by the time that everybody has registered)
1 Theme: Philantrophy
Saturday 14 October – Morning or Afternoon: visit PresMed Chatswood Private Hospital, Sydney
1 Theme: Quality and Safety of Eye Care – Bilateral Cataract Surgery
Send in your abstract!
Register now!
WAEH 17th Annual Meeting
Submit your poster!
^ The winning poster of the 2018 meeting!
Like in previous years we would like to invite you to submit a poster for the upcoming annual meeting of the WAEH.
- The posters will be displayed during the conference from the 10th till the 12th October 2023 in The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in Melbourne.
- On both days we would like to invite all people who have send in their poster to be ready during lunch to stand next to their posters and to pitch their poster to the WAEH 2023 attendees that will walk by.
- At the entrance desk you will receive 3 stickers which they can give to the posters.
- The three posters with the most stickers will be invited to present on stage to pitch their poster to the WAEH 2023 crowd!
- The best poster with the most stickers wins the SOL Innovation Award!
- Send your poster to: maaike.vanzuilen@waeh.org
Find the guidelines and suggestions here!
Please note that all posters will be uploaded on the WAEH Knowledge Hub after the meeting. The knowledge hub is just available to the members of the WAEH.
DEADLINE to send in your POSTER: October 2 2023
WAEH 17th Annual Meeting
Book your hotel room in Melbourne now!
Book your hotel room in Melbourne now!
Want to make reservations at the Hotel Windsor? Please take a look at our website and use the Promo code > WorldAEH
Please note that we are not holding any rooms and the rooms are subject to availability at the time of the booking.
Please follow the steps to book a hotel room at the Hotel Windsor on our website.
More info about the hotel and the reservation here!
WAEH 17th Annual Meeting
Book your hotel room in Sydney now!
Book your hotel room in Sydney now!
Want to make reservations at the Shangri-La Sydney?
Please note that we are not holding any rooms and the rooms are subject to availability at the time of the booking.
Please follow the steps to book a hotel room at the Shangri-La Sydney on our website.
More info about the hotel and the reservation here!
WAEH 17th Annual Meeting
Meet Valeria – our photographer for WAEH2023
Meet Valeria Villanueva, a Mexican surgical photographer, and the visionary behind “INSIDE THE OR By Valeria.” Valeria’s deep admiration for surgeons and passion for photography blend seamlessly in her remarkable work. She has been selected to be part of the media communications team at the prestigious WAEH 2023 Congress in Australia, where she will capture captivating photos of the event, celebrating the art of surgery and the dedication of medical professionals.
Check out her portfolio!
WAEH 17th Annual Meeting Theme
Innovation
What is the latest research and innovations happening in the field of diagnosing eye diseases? What is the impact of AI on diagnosing eye diseases? What kind of robotics are you already using in your operating rooms and what can other eye hospitals learn from your projects? Is patient care enhanced by using AI in the consulting room? How will patient’s react if they are screened by AI systems in their homes or at the office of the general practitioner?
Send the summary of your presentation via: summary
WAEH 17th Annual Meeting Theme
Philanthropy
What is the role of philanthropy in an eye hospital? Why is an organisational approach to Philanthropy essential to success? What is the role of the clinician in Philanthropy?
Send the summary of your presentation via: summary
WAEH 17th Annual Meeting Theme
Sustainability in eye hospitals
What are the steps you have taken to support a more sustainable eye hospital? From waste minimisation to saving water we all have a role to play in this addressing the threats related to global warming. What impact will climate change have on global eye health?
Send the summary of your presentation via: summary
WAEH 17th Annual Meeting Theme
Workforce
In an environment still impacted by COVID-19, recruiting and retaining key skills and talent in healthcare remains an ongoing global challenge. How can we best address issues such as an aging workforce, technological changes, burnout and skills gaps in order to build our workforce for the current and future? What role can career development, wellbeing, and diversity and inclusion play in maintaining an engaged and supported workforce? What emerging workforce trends should we be planning for in the next decade?
Send the summary of your presentation via: summary
WAEH 17th Annual Meeting Theme
Quality and safety in eye care
How can we improve quality and safety in eyecare? How can we better address issues such as access to care, medication safety and what steps can be taken to ensure a standardised approach to quality of care? In what ways can we measure health outcomes? Which patient flows are used in your eye hospital that improve the outcomes for your patients? Are you running any projects that have improved the quality and safety of the eye care given in your eye hospital?
Send the summary of your presentation via: summary
WAEH Consultation hours
Want to know more about the WAEH and meet your fellow-members? Join the WAEH Consultation hour!
This consultation hour is especially for WAEH members to get to know the WAEH a bit better. During this consultation hour, you can pop up all your questions about the WAEH activities like the WAEH Annual Meeting (like sending in an abstract or how to register), Community of Practice – Human resources, Community of Practice for Nurses, Community of Practice Keratoconus, Community of Practice Primary Retinal Detachment, and so on. There is no need to register yourself for this consultation hour, just pop in!
We have planned in the following dates for 2023 – if needed we can include other dates and timings based on your schedule and timezone:
- Thursday 7 September – 01.00 PM CEST
- Thursday 5 October 09.00 AM CET
- Thursday 9 November 01.00 PM CEST
This is also a way to meet other members. In this consultation hour, we can catch up and get to know each one better!
Link to meet: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6497234393
Launch of the Community tool!
To enable communication between members (without always needing Maaike!) we are now opening up the WAEH online Community! See: https://community.waeh.org
The members of the Community of Practice Human Resources have already been using it to exchange documents and have now their own online place where ideas, knowledge, documents and so on can be exchanged. The same goes for the Community of Practice Nurses and Allied Health.
With this community tool, you can now share news, documents and more. The information about the upcoming WAEH Annual Meeting in Melbourne and Sydney will from now on also be shared through this tool. Of course, we will also continue to share information through the newsletter, the website and our social channels such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram (we recently stopped with Facebook as we saw that less and less members were using it).
The more people join the community and actively participate, the better it is!
Tips for making this a thriving community:
- Keep the community open on your computer
- Post a news item from your own eye hospital once a week
- If you have a question and cannot find the answer at your own hospital, post your question in the community
Happy to welcome you overthere!! If you have not received the email with your login, please send Maaike an email: maaike.vanzuilen@waeh.org
Community of Practice Human Resources – Annual Meeting
Register now for the Community of Practice – Human Resources! Once every three months, this group meets to discuss topics such as Handholding – From Volunteer to Career, Employment model(s) in ophthalmology, Task differentiation and Burn out prevention. The group will share best practices and learn from each other. We will meet via Zoom every three months.
Next meeting is during the Annual Meeting. Want to join? Register here!
WAEH 17th Annual Meeting – Keynotes
Patient perspective: Georgia Hall
Georgia Hall was diagnosed and treated for choroidal melanoma in 2021 at Sydney Eye Hospital when she was 31 years old. She successfully received eye sparing plaque radiation therapy and now follows a rigorous scanning protocol at the Kinghorn Cancer Centre.
She is passionate about sharing her experiences to help raise awareness around eye cancers. In 2022 she became the Australasian Ambassador to the Victoria Cohen Eye Cancer Charitable Trust. The charity is a strategic partner of the World Association of Eye Hospitals and awards scholarships to aspiring ocular oncologists to support their training and educational needs for their fellowship. Further information can be found at www.vcecct.org.
Georgia Hall works as a sustainability research analyst for an investment firm and comes to speak on Friday the 13th at Sydney Eye Hospital during the 17th Annual meeting.
Curious about the story of Georgia and interested in joining the Annual Meeting? More information here!
Aravind Eye Care System
Online Course on Project Management for Eye Care
If you are in the process of writing a project proposal or implementing a project – this course will help you design, plan and execute projects effectively. This course is designed to help you to excel in planning and execution of projects. The course offers appropriate knowledge, tools, attitude and skills necessary for effective execution of projects and programmes.
This course is offered online. Participants will receive a certificate of completion upon completing all modules in this course.
Aravind Eye Care System
Certificate course in Optical Dispensing
Duration: 3 months | October’ 2023
Update your knowledge and skills in the world of optometry!
Optical dispensing is a sub specialty of optometry that encompasses every step, from the moment an eyeglass prescription is presented to the optician to the moment the patient walks away with a perfect pair of glasses.
Why choose our course?
- Industry-Relevant Skills: Our course is designed to prepare you for the dynamic field of optical dispensing.
- Gain hands-on experience in spectacles fitting, and eye wear maintenance.
- Learn the nuances of maintaining spectacle frames and accessories.
- Gain expertise in optical systems, refractive states of the eye, and the use of cutting-edge instruments in the field.
- Obtain valuable insights into optical counseling and after-sales service, ensuring that you provide a high level of customer care.
Johns Hopkins and Wilmer Eye Institute
Retinal Degeneration and Visual Electrophysiology 2023 Conference
Overview
This two-day conference is designed to provide an update on the latest exciting and cutting-edge developments in the field of retinal degeneration, repair, and regeneration, including recent advances in stem cells and gene therapy, cellular and molecular mechanisms of disease, outcome measures, natural history, nanomedicine, systemic manifestations, surgery and delivery, ethics and global perspectives. The program includes a refresher course on visual electrophysiology for clinicians and researchers
Objectives
- Recall cellular and molecular basis of selected IRDs, with an emphasis on mechanistic insights that inform treatment strategies and outcome measures.
- Review recommendations from the International Society of Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision (ISCEV) regarding visual neurophysiology testing.
- Review structural and functional outcome measures of IRDs, including those relevant to subjects with ultra-low vision.
- Review data and results from Phase I, II, and III clinical trials, and translational studies, with an emphasis on stem cells, gene therapy, and other treatment approaches.
- Review aspects relating to equitable access to clinical care and research for IRD patients, and ethical considerations unique to people with vision loss due to IRDs.
More information here!
October 12 – 2023 / Participate in World Sight Day? Use these communication materials of the IAPB
This year’s World Sight Day theme is ‘Love Your Eyes at Work’, with the aim of raising awareness to businesses to prioritise the eye health of workers everywhere.
The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) have launched this year’s campaign activations and are calling on the entire eye health sector to get involved.
Over the past couple of years, IAPB have set a target of eyesight tests/screenings, and surgeries pledged by the sector and beyond in the lead up to World Sight Day, which each year has been exceeded thanks to the support of those organisations and individuals who contributed. This year IAPB have set a highly ambitious target of 10 million sight tests/screenings, surgeries conducted between 4 July – 12 October, 100 days leading up to World Sight Day. If you would like to get involved and pledge your numbers, you can do so here.
For this year’s Global Challenge, the sector is being asked to conduct sight tests and screening in different workplaces around the world in the lead up to World Sight Day and to share this with IAPB so that IAPB can publish this across their media channels and shine a light on employees in different industries across the world. This includes police workers, street cleaners, miners, fishermen, prison guards, factory workers, to name a few.
Click here for the Global Challenge Toolkit for tips and guidance on how to maximise the opportunity for World Sight Day.
IAPB have created a suite of resources to help prioritise eye health in the workplace. IAPB invites you to download these free, informative tools and share them with your partner networks. Download workplace resources
Finally, there is the opportunity to participate in the 8th Annual World Sight Day Photo Competition. Lastly, there is the opportunity to participate in the 8th Annual World Sight Day Photo Competition. Click here for more details and to submit your photos.
Contact Rachael Bourke, IAPB Membership Manager, rbourke@iapb.org for more information and to get involved.
Aravind Eye Care System
Quiz on Uveitis
This month’s Aurosiksha Quiz focuses on Uveitis.
The purpose of this quiz is to improve the knowledge of Allied Ophthalmic Personnel. So encourage your ophthalmic assistants, refractionists, vision technicians etc. to take this quiz…
DON’T FORGET to click on “VIEW SCORE” at the end… you will be able to see the explanations for the correct answer along with your scores!
ALL THE BEST FOR THE QUIZ!!
Prepared by: Dr Jonathan, Uvea Clinic, Aravind Eye Care System.
Head of Lions Eye Donation Service – Victoria
The Lions Eye Donation Service (LEDS) is a world leading non-profit eye bank responsible for stewarding the end-of-life eye donations, of Victorian donors, toward transplantation, research and training. We offer a comprehensive donation medical service, from referral and consent, to donation, medical suitability determination, surgical retrieval, evaluation, preservation and allocation of human ocular tissue. Since inception, LEDS has innovated practice in Australia, being the first eye bank to introduce many new tissue and surgical techniques, and a national and global leader in practice reform and development.
Position Summary
As the Head of LEDS, you will lead a multi-disciplinary clinical and scientific team to deliver high quality, effective and efficient end of life donation and transplant services that meet the needs of its clients and the demands of the regulatory body and other stakeholders.
Your leadership will ensure that CERA and LEDS remain at the forefront of advancement in eye banking and eye care.
More information here.
REQUEST FROM: CHRIST FOUNDATION SCHOOL FOR LIFE
Institutional support in used equipment for ophthalmology unit
The lack of equipment in our ophthalmology unit constitutes a great handicap in achieving our mission. Know how to provide quality health care to poor populations and supervise trainees by working as an application hospital.
In front of obstacle, we allow ourselves today to use your institution to request support such as :
· Equipment, devices, instruments, kits or basic boxes for ophthalmology service or unit
· Material, equipment, devices and instruments for diagnosis or ophthalmology examinations
· Material, equipment, devices, instruments for surgery or consultation room
· Material, equipment, devices, instruments for treatment or care room
· Material, equipment, devices, instruments for operating room
· Material, equipment, devices and furniture for Hospitalization
· Ophthalmological Examination Box, Lacrimal Catheterization Box, Cataract Box,
· Congenital Cataract Box, Chalazion Box, Pterygium Box,
· Foreign Body Box Eye Base Surgery & Headlamps,
· Sterilization Equipment (Autoclave and Poupine l of table + boxes, drums) · – – Furniture for reception room, for hospitalization in ophthalmology.
Our concern is to organize our ophthalmology service by acquiring equipment, devices, kits or boxes and consumables.Any support you give us for ophthalmology equipment will be welcome with us. If this assistance is not possible, would you be kind enough to sponsor elsewhere either towards the eye clinics or towards other charitable organizations which can agree to help us in this direction.
We thank you in advance for this support and send you our cordial greetings.
Please contact Jean de la Croix, Medical coordinator and training manager, to support and help them.
2023
Agenda
– 7 September, 13.00 CEST – Consultation hour WAEH Members
– 5 October, 09.00 AM CET – Consultation hour WAEH Members
– 10 October / 14 October – 17th Annual Meeting
– 9 November, 01.00 PM CET Consultation hour WAEH Members
– 30 November, 01.00 PM CET – Community of Practice for Nurses
– 7 December, 13.00 CET – Community of Practice Human Resources
Questions? Share news?
Do you have a special request? Would you like to organize a webinar or share news? Would you like to be (digitally) connected to a certain person in one of our member eye hospitals? Please feel very welcome to hare your questions via the new Community Tool or contact Maaike van Zuilen: Maaike.vanzuilen@waeh.org